Congratulations, you’ve found the actual BEST Chili Recipe! It’s won dozens of cook-offs and is about to knock your socks off. Made with bacon (and the option to omit bacon if needed) and ground beef and simmered on the stove for just 30 minutes, this is my family’s go-to cool weather comfort food.
Chili Cook-Off Champion!
Something savory/cozy for you today because believe it or not Fall is here, which means cold weather and hearty comfort foods like baked ziti, my favorite meatball recipe, and this best chili recipe!
This recipe is actually one that I shared last year, and since then I’ve made it probably 50 times. Not only am I completely obsessed with it, as of this writing it’s also won over two dozen Chili Cook-offs! While I’ve never entered it into a cook-off myself, so many of you who have tried this chili recipe have commented or e-mailed me that it’s taken home first place and I don’t even know how to express how happy that makes me!
So, yeah, I do feel a little bit extra proud of this chili cook-off champ recipe right here.
Not only does it taste amazing, it’s shockingly simple to make. Basic, no-fuss ingredients and just 30 minutes of simmering yield a complex and rich flavor that’s simply unparalleled.
This best chili recipe (alternating weekly with my potato soup) is on regular dinner rotation for me as soon as the weather starts to dip below 70 degrees. It’s easy to make, incredibly filling, and the flavor is out of this world.
Let’s get started.
How to Make the Actual Best Chili Recipe
- Start with bacon! Cook until crisp, remove to a paper-towel lined plate, and reserve a bit of the grease for cooking your veggies. The flavor that develops from this step elevates a great chili recipe to the best chili recipe.
- Cook your onion and pepper until soft, add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add your ground beef, cook until mostly browned (but not all the way cooked through).
- Add all your seasonings.
- Stir well, cooking beef through.
- Add the remaining ingredients (and your bacon from step 1!), give everything a good stir, and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes and until liquid is reduced.
Tip: Make your chili even better by choosing the right toppings when you serve it! Sour cream is a must, but shredded cheddar, corn chips, sliced jalapeños, avocado, or green onions are all great choices, too!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for at least 3 months.
Kind of. For best flavor, you will still need to follow steps 1-4 of the recipe as written, then you can transfer everything to the crockpot and heat it there (I don’t add the bacon back in until I’m ready to serve). Cook on low until ready to serve.
The bacon imparts an incredible flavor and is the secret ingredient that makes this chili the best chili recipe and an award winner. If you’re entering a cook-off, use it! However, you can leave it out if you absolutely must. Please see the notes in the recipe for instructions on making this chili bacon-free.
I most often use 90% lean ground beef but any percentage will work just fine (I’ve used all of them, but usually end up draining some grease if I use 80%). Ground turkey or chicken or really any ground meat will work here, but keep in mind the flavor will be slightly altered!
What Goes Well with Chili?
Obviously, bread is my chili side-dishes of choice. Because this chili is so hearty and filling on its own, a slice of cornbread makes for a sufficient side for chili.
Enjoy, and make sure to check out my other easy dinner recipes!! And make sure you let me know what you think when you try this! I love hearing about the cook-offs it wins and if you really agree that it’s the all-time BEST chili recipe!
Let’s cook together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
The Best Chili Recipe (Award Winning!)
Ingredients
- 5 strips uncooked bacon chopped¹
- 1 large yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 lb ground beef (455g) (I use 90% but any will work)
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder²
- 1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder²
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoons ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper³
- 1 ¼ cup beef broth (295ml)
- 15 oz can dark red kidney beans lightly rinsed and drained (425g)
- 15 oz can black beans lightly rinsed and drained (425)
- 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes undrained (411g)
- 7- oz can fire roasted green chilis (198g)
- ¼ cup tomato paste (66g)
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Preferred toppings particularly sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and corn chips
Instructions
- Place chopped (uncooked) bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until crisp and cooked through. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and drain all but 1 ½ Tablespoons of grease.5 strips uncooked bacon
- Add onion and pepper and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.1 large yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).3 cloves garlic
- Add beef, breaking apart with a spatula as you cook. Once meat is partially (about 50%) browned, add sugar and all spices (chili powders, paprika, cumin, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper) and stir well.1 lb ground beef, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon chili powder², 1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder², 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¾ teaspoons ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper³
- Add all remaining ingredients — beef broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chilis, and Worcestershire sauce — and your cooked bacon and stir well.1 ¼ cup beef broth, 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, 15 oz can black beans, 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes, 7- oz can fire roasted green chilis, ¼ cup tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 30 minutes to allow flavor to really develop.
- Serve with preferred toppings (sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and corn chips are a must!)Preferred toppings
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally shared this chili recipe 10/05/2018. Post has been updated to include more notes, a video, and more helpful information 09/11/2019.
Lisa
This looks fantastic!!! I love Chili but have a few family members that don’t like it too spicy. Do you recommend any spice adjustments for this?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Lisa! Just make sure to use mild green chilis and either either reduce or skip the cayenne pepper. We hope everyone loves it!
Susan
This is the best chili. I’ve won 2 chili cook offs with it
Sadie
Multiplied this recipe by 5 for a big halloween party and it was a total hit! I had all kinds of people asking me for the recipe and what was my secret ingredient. I ended up winning the golden ladle for the chili contest lol. Great recipe, would recommend it to EVERYONE!
Rob
I always used to make this with ground beef but I’ve had to stop eating red meat and my wife doesn’t like ground chicken or turkey. Would this still work with chicken chunks?
Sam
Hi Rob! It will definitely have a different flavor, but as long as you get the chicken cooked all the way through it should work just fine. 🙂
Dawn H
Excellent chili recipe! Will be my go to. Experienced chili eating guests raved it was “phenomenal.” I doubled the sweet peppers and added more of the spices and salt (to taste), which I think enhanced the already amazing flavor. Served with shredded mexican cheese blend, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips + a variety of hot sauces and cayenne so guests could customize the heat. I didn’t add the cayenne to the chili due to different heat tolerances among family and friends. Still had a bit of a kick!
Nancy
This recipe is awesome! I haven’t tried it with the ancho chili powder, but it was fantastic without it. I have made this recipe four times in week because it was such a hit. I added a few carrots, simply because my mother always put carrots in her chili. And I used ground beef from our family farm. The taste is incredible! Thanks for sharing!!
P
Thank u for sharing this recipe! Made it with a couple substitutions (no smoked paprika here, so sumac instead just because I like sumac ;-); reduced the cumin because we’re not big cumin fans). Entered it in our church’s annual chili cook-off and won! Moreover, the chili tastes great!! xo
Lauri Enterline
Well, folks I am going to make this for our annual highly competitive family chili cook-off based on the recipe and all your comments. Will report back. Certainly looks yummy!
tom
why doesn’t the total time match the actual cook time? cooke time is 20 min at the top, making total time 30 min. step 7 of recipe is cook for 30 minutes.
Sam
I’m sorry Tom! Looks like a typo on my end. I’ll see if I can fix it. 🙂
Jeff
Great recipe without any “special” ingredients.
Made just as recipe called for and my wife really did win an office chili cook-off.
thanks again for the recipe, this one is a keeper!
Dennis Basye
I enter this in a chilly in a chilly cook off this last Saturday and took 1st place yes is a winner thank you.
Brittany
I entered this chili in a cook-off at work. I feel like my chili recipe is pretty basic, so I wanted to try something new and saw this recipe and the great reviews. I followed the recipe as stated. After trying it at the event, I wasn’t a fan of it. There is no bacon flavor, and I think there are too many spices competing with eachother. Everyone likes different things, so I was hoping I’d still place at the cook-off. I came in last. There were 6 chilis better than mine, and I agreed after trying everyone’s chili. I’m sure there are lots of people that like this recipe, but to me something was off. Maybe it’s just my preferences but thought I’d share since every raves about it in the comments and I didn’t have the same thoughts. I hope others have better luck! Something to note; my husband said it was pretty good on top of a hotdog, but didn’t like it as just a bowl of chili. Hope this helps someone!
J
Tripled the recipe for an office chili cook-off. Won by a landslide.
Rose McMurray
Did you triple the spices and brown sugar too?
Joshua Donahue
Sure did!
Jody Lindsay
You have made me a HERO in my family! Everyone raved about the chili calling it the best they have ever had. THANK YOU from Utah!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone has enjoyed it so much, Jody! 🙂
Janeen T Yodakis
As I like to say when something is out of this world, AMAZING, “This is Redonka donk!” LOL Seriously though, best chili recipe ever. I did tweak it a bit. I added Sriracha and Trader Joe’s Crunch Chili Onion. Mmmm Mmmmm Mmmmm. So good! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Sincerely,
Janeen
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
🤣 so glad you enjoyed it Janeen!
Beth
Yummmm. How much of Trader Joe’s chili crunch did you use?
Janeen T Yodakis
Hi Beth, I used 2 tablespoons, but I doubled the entire recipe. It really depends on the level of heat you like. With the men in my family, who love their heat, I also added additional cayenne pepper and cut the brown sugar in half. The base of this recipe is so good, that you can’t go wrong. 🙂
Janice Schnell
This Chili lives up to its name. I won the Chili competition today. I did make two small changes. I don’t like black beans, so switched to a white beat. On the paprika I did half smoked half regular. I think the smokiness often overpowers the more subtle flavors. Thought I would have leftovers, but it was all gone.
Matt Philmon
Kudos on this. I love to make chili and thought I’d try something new and came across this recipe. This is delicious. Truly delicious. I don’t even taste the bacon but I can tell the flavor it adds. Really great recipe. I’m going to play with this to heat it up a lot but this is really tasty.
Anelise
My whole family loved this recipe. I was prepared for one kid to complain about it or my husband to tell me it wasn’t worth the time it spent to cook it like usual when I try a new chili recipe. Instead of all that I was rewarded with everyone loving it and raving about it. I don’t know how all these normal ingredients somehow make outstanding chili but they do. The only thing I did change was only using regular chili powder and I only did 1 heaping tablespoon instead of a combined 2 tablespoons like the recipe called for.
Julie Knutson
Raves from the family. My new go to chili recipe.
Ted
Made this and it is delicious. I added a bit more cumin I toast the seeds and grind my own. We grow Joe E Parker chilies, smoke them to make chili powder. Followed the recipe closely otherwise. I did triple it for a big pot. I cook a lot and this is a fantastic recipe.
Big money E
I can vouch that this IS award winning! Just won a chili cook off with it with some minor tweaks. I used half red bell pepper and a full pablano, added some chipotle chili powder, and added a skösh more bacon. Absolutely delicious!